ClearCan Balanced Cable

Description

The ClearCan Balanced Cable replaces the stock single-ended 3.5 mm cable of the ClearCan Studio Headphones with a balanced connection using a 4.4 mm Pentaconn connector at the amplifier end. Balanced headphone drive — where the positive and negative signal of each channel are amplified by separate, electrically isolated amplifier stages — provides two measurable benefits over single-ended operation: reduced channel crosstalk and a lower output noise floor. Neither benefit is audible on a poor-quality headphone or amplifier; on the ClearCan, both are.

The Technical Case for Balanced Drive

In a single-ended headphone connection, the negative terminal of both channels shares a common return path — the sleeve of the 3.5 mm or 6.35 mm jack. This common return allows signal from one channel to couple into the other, producing measurable crosstalk. Balanced drive eliminates the shared return:

– 4.4 mm Pentaconn connector — the current industry standard for balanced headphone output on portable and desktop DAC/amps
– Separate positive and negative signal paths for each channel — eliminates common return crosstalk
– OFC conductors in a twisted-pair geometry — natural common-mode noise rejection throughout the cable length
– ClearCan-compatible twist-lock 3.5 mm connector at the headphone end — same attachment as the stock cable
– 1.2 m cable length — appropriate for desktop DAC/amp to headphone use; not excess length that adds capacitance

Amplifier Compatibility

The ClearCan Balanced Cable requires a DAC or headphone amplifier with a balanced headphone output:

– 4.4 mm Pentaconn socket — present on most dedicated desktop DAC/amps above €150 and many portable DAPs
– Not compatible with standard 6.35 mm or 3.5 mm single-ended outputs — balanced and single-ended are electrically different
– The ClearCan headphone itself is internally wired for balanced operation from the factory

Includes Velcro cable tie and cable sleeve. Backed by a two-year warranty.